Chapter 106 Since Guo Luoluo has come…

Since Lady Guoluo has come, this gift must be presented. And we must mention Yinzhi. Wenshan turned her head to look at Kangxi. Kangxi's expression did not change. He just nodded slightly, but did not call him to rise.

A palace maid handed over a long, rectangular gift, which looked like a calligraphy or painting.

"Your subject, on behalf of the Eighth Prince, presents this birthday gift to Father Emperor, wishing Father Emperor a long and healthy life."

Kangxi glanced at Liang Jiugong, who nodded slightly, then turned around and accepted the gift with both hands before stepping forward to Kangxi.

Just as he was about to open it, Kangxi waved his hand and said, "There's no need to open it. Yinzhi is a criminal, an unfilial and unrighteous person. I'm too lazy to look at his etiquette."

Liang Jiugong was somewhat stunned. Just now, Kangxi's meaning was clearly that he should bring up the congratulatory gift, so he naturally assumed that Kangxi wanted to open it and take a look. However, he did not expect that Kangxi only wanted to humiliate the Eighth Prince and his wife.

Guo Luoluo's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she bowed deeply, saying, "Your subject is guilty. Today is the Emperor's birthday, and it would be a great sin if your subject and I had disturbed the Emperor's enjoyment."

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were also in the Hall of Supreme Harmony today. They were furious to see Kangxi belittling Yinzhi, but they couldn't say anything on Yinzhi's behalf.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang exchanged a glance, both with resentment in their eyes. Wenshan almost couldn't sit still. Guoluo was already so far along in her pregnancy. What was the point of humiliating a pregnant woman in public?

Just as Wen Shan was about to speak, Kangxi sighed and said, "That's enough, get up. You're pregnant, so don't perform such a grand ceremony."

Since Lady Guoluo was pregnant and a woman, Emperor Kangxi didn't intend to do anything to her. He made a few sarcastic remarks and then told her to go back and sit down.

Guarjia watched coldly from the side and whispered, "Fourth sister-in-law, why didn't you try to persuade eighth sister-in-law? She's already quite far along in her pregnancy, why bother making this trip?"

After saying that, he raised his wine glass to cover himself.

Lady Fucha also raised her glass, and the two appeared to be toasting each other with smiles on their faces.

"The Eighth Prince is still a prince, and his wife is naturally Father Emperor's daughter-in-law. How could she not come?"

Guarjia didn't say anything more. Fucha was cautious and discreet in her speech, so there was nothing she could gain from her. After a few words, she lost interest.

Aside from the minor incident involving Lady Guoluo, the birthday banquet proceeded as planned and was no different from previous years. However, just as the banquet was about to end, Emperor Kangxi suddenly called out the name of Prince Li, saying that he had been shirking his duties for the past few years and that starting tomorrow, he would take over the Ministry of Personnel and attend court to discuss state affairs.

Tong Guowei and Longkodo, being members of the imperial family, were naturally present today. When Guoluo presented her gift earlier, the two of them had already discerned the situation: the Emperor now harbored deep resentment towards the Eighth Prince, and it was impossible for him to turn things around through ordinary means.

"Father, His Majesty has truly revealed his true intentions," Longkodo whispered.

Tong Guowei snorted coldly: "The Ministry of Personnel... is a good place."

Tong Guowei was known as "Tong Half the Court," with his students and former officials all over the country. The Ministry of Personnel was naturally his core, and his intention to let Prince Li take over the Ministry of Personnel was obvious.

They wanted to gradually reinstate the crown prince while simultaneously eliminating the Tong family's influence through a combination of threats and pressure.

"Has everything been arranged at the Imperial Clan Court?" Tong Guowei asked in a low voice after taking a sip of wine.

Longkodo hesitated for a moment: "Father, isn't it a bit risky to go see the Eighth Prince now? Why don't we wait a while longer?"

"We don't have that much time to wait."

No sooner had Tong Guowei finished speaking than the Minister of Personnel came over with a wine cup.

"Lord Tong, you've been ill for the past few days, are you feeling much better now?"

The Minister of Personnel was also a member of the Eighth Prince's faction. After Yinzhi's incident, he tried to meet with Tong Guowei several times but failed.

Tong Guowei and Longkodo were talking and exchanging pleasantries, while Longkodo silently drank two glasses of wine on the side.

My father used to say that he acted impulsively, but now it's said that he acts without considering the consequences.

Why insist on hanging yourself on the Eighth Prince?

At the birthday banquet, Emperor Kangxi specially had someone bring up Prince Li's eldest son, Hongzhao. Kangxi held the grandson and looked him over carefully for a while, saying, "He does indeed look somewhat like your grandmother."

Hongzhao is a little over two years old this year, and he is at the age of being very cute. Although he has never met Kangxi, he still sits obediently in Kangxi's arms, blinking his big eyes, which is very cute.

Wen Shan glanced at them a few times, and perhaps because her filter was too strong, she still thought Hong Xi and Yi An were more beautiful.

Guarjia rose and said, "It is a blessing for Hongzhao to resemble Empress Xiaocheng in some way."

“Heseri is Hongzhao’s biological grandmother, and being related by blood is naturally different,” Kangxi said with a smile. “You have also given me a good grandson.”

Guarjia hurriedly said that she dared not accept such praise.

“I feel quite fond of Hongzhao. If you and Yinreng are willing, you can leave Hongzhao in the palace and I will raise him for a while.”

Prince Li was naturally overjoyed: "It is an immense blessing that Hongzhao can be personally taught by Father Emperor."

Kangxi waved his hand: "Alright, get up. Don't kneel all the time. You weren't so well-behaved in front of me when you were little."

Prince Li was deeply moved: "Father..."

Wen Shan: "..."

Who is this act of fatherly affection for?

After finally getting through the birthday banquet, Wen Shan went straight back to Xianfu Palace without stopping for a moment.

"This banquet disgusted me," Wen Shan complained, resting her hand on Zhen Zhu's.

Pearl: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince just sent word that they will come to Xianfu Palace to talk to you later."

Wen Shan nodded, then thought of something else: "Then let's not go back to Xianfu Palace for now, let's go to Ganxi Wusuo to see Guo Luoluo Shi, the child has been wronged today."

Unexpectedly, Guo Luoluo was even faster than them. When Wen Shan arrived at Ganxi Wusuo, she said that Guo Luoluo had just returned, changed her clothes, and then went out again.

However, none of the palace servants knew where Guo Luoluo had gone.

Wen Shan was a little worried and was about to send someone to inform Yinzhen and Yinxiang when the two of them arrived.

“Mother, Fourth Brother and I heard you came to Eighth Sister-in-law’s place, so we stopped by to see you.” Yinxiang stepped forward and took Wenshan’s arm, whispering, “Eighth Sister-in-law went to see Eighth Brother.”

Wen Shan glanced at the two of them in surprise, but quickly composed herself.

"I wanted to visit your eighth sister-in-law, but she's out. Oh well, let's go back to Xianfu Palace first."

Upon arriving at Xianfu Palace, Wen Shan couldn't help but ask, "Why did you send your eighth sister-in-law to see Yinzhi at this time?"

“This is the perfect time,” Yinxiang said. “After the palace banquet, it’s a time to relax. Father Emperor, Prince Li, and Hongzhao are enjoying family time together, so they won’t have time to worry about us.”

Yinzhen took a sip of tea and said, "Mother, you don't need to worry. The Imperial Clan Court has already made arrangements. Eighth Brother won't be at ease if they don't meet."

Wenshan breathed a sigh of relief when she knew everything was arranged: "It's time for the couple to meet. It's been almost half a year since they last saw each other."

Especially when Guo Luoluo was pregnant, this young couple went through many hardships.

"Tong Guowei also wants to meet the Eighth Brother privately," Yinxiang said, toying with the teacup in his hand. "He's trying to find a way to get in touch with our people."

It seems they're all trying to take advantage of the chaos today.

Yinzhen thought for a moment and said, "Let him go. Let's see what Tong Guowei's plans are."

After listening for a while, Wen Shan finally asked, "Now... how confident are you?"

It was a dangerous situation after all, and even if she believed what Yinzhen and the others said, it was impossible for her not to feel uneasy.

“It was seven points before, but now it’s at least nine points, if not ten,” Yinxiang said.

"Father Emperor has gone mad and wants to reinstate the Crown Prince, which has given us a rare opportunity to purge the court of corrupt officials."

No matter how much Yinzhi instigated it from behind, the Crown Prince's rebellion was a foregone conclusion. He even took away the army's provisions without authorization, which resulted in the deaths of many people, including Suo'etu and Tuoheqi.

Therefore, even officials in the court who were not affiliated with any party or faction opposed the reinstatement of the crown prince, such as Zhang Tingyu and Shi Lang.

Kangxi was momentarily blinded by his own emotions, which left them an opening.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang never exaggerate in such matters, so if they say it, they must be quite certain. Wenshan felt a little relieved, and seeing Yinzhen reminded her of Hongxi and Yi'an.

"How are Hongxi and Yi'an's colds? Have you, as their father, checked on them?"

Yinzhen said helplessly, "I have to see these two children every day, otherwise Yi'an will definitely turn Chonghua Palace upside down."

“Ulanara is now more than five months pregnant, so you should spend more time with her when you have time,” Wen Shan instructed.

She was pregnant with Yinzhen's child, so she needed to be taken extra care of.

"Don't worry, Mother, the Fujin is taking very good care of you," Yinzhen nodded and said.

After the mother and her two sons had talked for a while, Yinzhen's personal eunuch came in, whispered a few words in Yinzhen's ear, and then withdrew.

"Just now, Father Emperor issued an edict ordering Consort Tongjia to renovate Yuqing Palace," Yinzhen said in a deep voice.

Wen Shan was not surprised at all: "Your imperial father's desire to reinstate the crown prince is impossible to hide now."

Now anyone with a sharp mind can see what Kangxi wants to do.

However, since the core members of the deposed crown prince's faction were either dead or exiled, there were not many left. Therefore, Kangxi was hesitant and wanted to gradually build up the crown prince's power before directly reinstating him.

“Empress Dowager Yuqing Palace didn’t want Yinzhi to live there either,” Wenshan said with a frown. “When the Emperor ordered Yinzhi to move in, I felt it was an unlucky place.”

Now it seems that this was indeed the case.

Yinzhen smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Mother is right. I will definitely choose a good residence for my eighth brother in the future."

"Alright, I imagine you two didn't eat much at the palace banquet either. Why don't you stay and have dinner with us?" Wen Shan said.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang knew that Wenshan also wanted to wait for news from the Imperial Clan Court to see if things went smoothly, so they naturally agreed to stay.

The Imperial Clan Court had already made arrangements, and someone was waiting to escort Guo Luoluo inside.

"Madam, please keep your head down and don't make a sound. This servant will lead you to the Eighth Prince."

Guo Luoluo's pregnancy was too obvious, so they had no choice but to have her disguise herself as a palace maid who came to deliver things, carrying a basket in her arms to cover it up a bit.

Several of Kangxi's confidants were specially assigned to look after Yinzhi in the Imperial Clan Court. These people were a bit of a hassle, but fortunately, today was Kangxi's birthday and the palace servants had all received rewards and could go to collect a meal and a reward. So, a shift vacancy was created so that Lady Guoluo could go in.

The man led Guo Luoluo into a small courtyard. The courtyard was small and empty with hardly anyone around, and the doors and windows of the house in front were tightly locked.

The guards had been replaced by their own people, who quickly stepped forward and unlocked the lock when they saw Guo Luoluo arrive.

"Madam, you should be out in half an hour at most."

Guo Luoluo nodded: "Thank you."

The man bowed and said, "You're too kind, Madam. The Eighth Prince is my savior, and I really don't deserve your thanks."

Guo Luoluo pursed her lips and pushed open the door. She was greeted by the smell of old, rotten wood. The house was empty and looked very dilapidated, but fortunately it was kept relatively tidy.

Yinzhi was writing something by the window when he heard the door open. He looked up and was surprised to see Guo Luoluo Shi. He was overjoyed at the sight of her.

"Why are you here?" After his initial surprise, Yinzhi frowned and quickly helped her sit down.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang wanted to give Yinsi a surprise, so they didn't inform him in advance.

Lady Guoluo grasped Yinzhi's hand and said, "You've lost so much weight."

Yinzhi smiled slightly and said, "There's no other way; we have to live a simple life here."

Yinzhi gently touched Guoluo's lower abdomen, his expression full of affection.

"What are you doing here after more than seven months?"

Lady Guoluo felt somewhat relieved after seeing Yinzhi in person. At this moment, her eyes were filled with tears, but she still held back her tears.

"My wife and child miss you dearly, sir. We must see you."

Guo Luoluo said, "It's all thanks to my fourth brother and thirteenth brother who mediated between us."

Yinzhi nodded: "I can only feel at ease about you and the child when Fourth Brother and Thirteenth Brother are out there."

"Has anyone bullied you these past few days?" A cold glint flashed in Yinzhi's eyes.

People in the palace are the most prone to fawning over the powerful and bullying the weak, so it's inevitable that some fools will try to take advantage of Lady Guoluo.

“They’re just petty scoundrels, nothing to worry about.” Lady Guo Luo Luo held Yin Si’s hand tightly and said, “With Mother and Fourth Sister-in-law taking care of us, everything is fine in the palace.”

Yinzhi gently stroked Guoluo's hand and said, "You don't need to take what anyone said to heart. I will naturally get revenge for you."

Guo Luoluo nodded, and only after hearing what Yinzhi said did some of the grievances deep in her heart surge up.

After calming down for a moment, Guo Luoluo said, "It's just that Father Emperor ordered us to move out of Yuqing Palace and we are now living in Qianxi Wusuo. Mother specially cleaned up the place where you used to live."

Yinzhi felt a pang of heartache: "You've suffered since you came with me."

"What's so bitter about this? I never liked Yuqing Palace anyway, and I was always terrified staying there. It's much better now," Guo Luoluo said with a faint smile. "It would be a good thing if our child could be born in the place where you lived when you were young."

Yinzhen and Yinxiang had privately discussed the next steps with Yinsi, so Yinsi now had a clear idea of ​​what to do.

He held Guo Luoluo's hand reassuringly, patted it, and said with a smile, "I should be able to leave in less than two months, and hopefully I'll be able to make it in time for our child to be born."

Lady Guoluo was nine months pregnant at that time, and it should have been the time when she could give birth at any time. Yinzhi said this because he was worried that the commotion would be too great and frighten her.

Guo Luoluo understood immediately. Looking at the somewhat bleak scenery outside the window, she smiled slightly and said, "My concubine and the child will certainly wait patiently for you to come out, sir."

Guo Luoluo stayed inside with Yinzhi for more than half an hour before pushing open the door and coming out. The person who brought Guo Luoluo had been waiting outside the door. Upon seeing Guo Luoluo come out, he hurriedly led her away from the Imperial Clan Court.

Xianfu Palace also received the news.

Wenshan breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she was safe and sound.

Just as Wen Shan was about to tell Yinzhen and Yinxiang to hurry back to rest, Baoquan brought another message.

Emperor Kangxi had been telling Prince Li that it was getting late, so he had him stay in the palace to rest. Prince Li was now in Yuqing Palace.

Wen Shan: "..."

I'm numb, let it go.

I really can't be bothered with it.

Yinzhen and Yinxiang clearly had a lukewarm reaction to this matter.

"Mother, then Fourth Brother and I will be leaving now." Yinxiang instructed, "The inner palace may become more and more chaotic. Just continue with your life as usual and don't pay any attention to them."

Wenshan nodded: "Mother knows. You can all do your own things and don't need to worry about Mother."

It's safest for her to stay in Xianfu Palace; what Yinzhen and the others are doing is much more dangerous.

After leaving Xianfu Palace, Yinzhen and Yinxiang did not rest but went straight to Chonghua Palace to wait for the next news.

News after Yinzhi met with Tong Guowei.

The two waited until 7 PM to receive news that Tong Guowei had left the Imperial Clan Court. Half an hour later, a letter written by Yinzhi was sent out.

After the two finished reading, Yinxiang exclaimed in amazement: "Everyone says that Mingzhu and Suo'etu are old rivals, but it turns out that Tong Guowei is just as formidable."

He actually chose the exact same path as Mingzhu, wanting to start a rebellion and push Yinzhi to the throne.

“This shouldn’t be the case. This isn’t like Tong Guowei at all.” Yinxiang stroked his chin, carefully recalling Tong Guowei from his previous life. “This old guy has always been cunning and shrewd, cautious in his actions, and he values ​​the continuation of the Tongjia clan more than anything else. In his previous life, he also bet on the Eighth Brother, and after failing, he simply resigned and handed over the Tongjia clan to Longkodo. This desperate gamble is not like his style.”

Could there be some kind of scam involved?

However, Yinzhi's letter clearly stated that Tong Guowei's actions this time did not seem fake; he genuinely wanted to take a gamble.

Yinxiang pondered for a while and then suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "In the past, Tong Guowei and Longkodo were able to sit still because they were betting on this old guy. Even if he couldn't go on, there was still Longkodo who was with you, Fourth Brother, to take his place. But now, this father and son are both people in front of Eighth Brother."

Tong Guowei had no way out at this point.

"Moreover, the charges against Eighth Brother are quite different from those in the previous life." Yinzhen put the letter in his hand aside and said, "In the past, they were just rumors. It was only because the ministers recommended Eighth Brother as the new Crown Prince that Father Emperor became wary and disgusted with him. In the end, there was no real wrongdoing, so Eighth Brother was not imprisoned and continued to be a prince. But now the situation is very different."

“Framed the Crown Prince, a crime of treason.” Yinzhen said slowly, “Father will definitely deal with the Tong family. Isn’t the example of the Hesheli clan right in front of us?”

Seeing Hesheli's current miserable state, Tong Guowei must be having trouble sleeping tonight.

“My brother’s idea is for us to pretend we don’t know anything about Tong Guowei’s uprising, and then we can be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” Yinxiang said, resting his chin on his hand. “Then we can take over the palace under the pretext of rescuing the emperor, and have Father Emperor write the abdication edict. That would be perfectly legitimate.”

Yinzhen nodded: "You've helped us, too."

"But my brother warned us to be careful of Longkodo." Yinxiang hesitated for a moment. "Could this kid be planning to betray us?"

“Eighth Brother understands this father and son better than any of us. Since he said that, he must have his reasons,” Yinzhen said. “Send someone to keep an eye on him and don’t let him do anything wrong.”

It can only be said that Yinzhi really understood Longkodo's situation perfectly. He was indeed thinking about how to get off the ship that was about to capsize, which belonged to the Tong family and his father, and he even chose the deposed crown prince as his target for surrender.

Longkodo had a basic political sense. Kangxi was now openly supporting the deposed crown prince. Even though many court officials openly or secretly opposed the crown prince's reinstatement, Kangxi still went his own way, pushing the deposed crown prince to take over some important government affairs, and his influence even surpassed that of Yinzhen.

Moreover, Kangxi is clearly in a hurry to find some political support for the deposed crown prince, and this is the best opportunity for the emperor and the crown prince to get on the same boat.

Then Longkodo was arrested and brought before Tong Guowei.

"Where are you planning to go?" Tong Guowei said coldly, "Didn't I tell you not to go out after this period?"

With a forced smile, Longkodo said, "It's just that I've been staying home for too long and went out for a stroll. Why did you lock our son up, Father?"

Two servants restrained Longkodo, who struggled a few times but couldn't break free.

Tong Guowei waved for the servants to leave, while Longkodo stretched his arms, wondering if Tong Guowei already knew something.

"Alright, now that it's just the two of us in the room, let's speak frankly." Tong Guowei stared intently at him and said, "You want to go and seek refuge with Prince Li?"

"...Father, where did you get that idea?"

Tong Guowei: "While I'm still in the mood to talk to you properly, don't try any of these little tricks."

Longkodo knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he laid his cards on the table.

“Yes, you’re right. I do want to pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince. Father, I’ve advised you many times not to rebel, but you just won’t listen.” Longkodo said stubbornly, “Are you determined to drag the entire Tongjia clan down with you? How will you face the ancestors of the Tongjia clan in the future!”

Enraged, Tong Guowei slapped Longkodo across the face.

"You unfilial son! You are the one who has ruined the Tongjia clan!"

"I've told you many times that we have no other way out. Even if we just barely survive until the Emperor officially reinstates the deposed Crown Prince, that will be the day our Tong family is destroyed. Do you think you can survive by siding with the deposed Crown Prince? We'll still kill you as a sacrifice to the flag!"

Longkodo was clearly still unconvinced, but Tong Guowei was too lazy to say anything more to him. He simply ordered his men to take him away and keep him under guard, forbidding him from leaving the room.

“Master, it’s not good to keep the Second Young Master locked up forever. After all, he is the Commander of the Nine Gates, and it’s not good for him to stay out of sight for so long…” the butler said with difficulty.

Tong Guowei: "It's about time. If we delay, things might change. Have Ya'ershan and the others come to see me."

Tong Guowei acted swiftly; the very next day, Yinzhen and Yinxiang received the news that Tong Guowei was about to make his move, and that it would happen that very night.

“He certainly knows how to pick his time. Today is indeed a golden opportunity,” Yinxiang said.

Another major event occurred today: Emperor Kangxi formally proposed in court to establish a new crown prince and asked the ministers to recommend one. He also openly praised the deposed crown prince to subtly hint at his intentions to the ministers.

As a result, he was thoroughly criticized by several straightforward ministers, who bluntly stated that the deposed crown prince had rebelled and damaged the army's supplies, and that his moral character was flawed and he should not be made crown prince. They also indirectly scolded Kangxi, which made Kangxi, who was very concerned about his reputation, so angry that he felt dizzy on the spot and fell ill after returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The palace is in complete chaos right now, which is indeed a good opportunity.